Just An Act
by WhiteBlossom00
Summary: Everything with James is just a mask. No one is really sure what his real intentions are except for his friends but even they get confused sometimes. Now, imagine Lily being put into the equation and nothing is as it seems because with James, what's real?


**Hey guys! This is my first story that I'm publishing so I'm not too sure how it's going to go. Um, reviews or feedback would be fantastic or even just reading it. This is kind of like the prologue of the story so not much action or detail but I'll work on it. I don't know how long this story is going to be or if I will even continue it?(Probably will no matter what but there's always that chance...) Anyway enjoy!**_

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_The players flying around on brooms, the plays going on in the air around him, the announcer's booming voice, the screaming of the fans, his opponents watching him carefully… that was all behind some foggy shroud that James Potter didn't even think about. All that mattered was the Golden Snitch that was fluttering around. James's heart matched the frantic pace with which the Snitch flew, mere feet above his outstretched arm. James urged his broom faster, sensing that the Slytherin Seeker was coming up quickly behind._

"_James Potter has spotted the Snitch!" Tony Alcorn hollered from his position at the scoreboard. "He better watch out, Kyle Durkin isn't far behind!" _

_The whole world around James slowed down so that he was seeing it in slow motion. The Snitch could only be caught by using very clever Quidditch skills, so James did the only thing he deemed necessary. He stood up slowly, very slowly, while urging his broom on yet faster, and reached for the Snitch with his outstretched arm. _

"_What's this? Potter is bloody crazy! He's trying to stand up on his broom!" _

_He ignored Tony and only forced on the Snitch. Inches away, James made a split-second decision and lunged for the Snitch, only to fall down…down…down…_

"Potter! Potter! _James bloody Potter_!"

He rolled over and opened one eye. James Potter was being shaken awake by none other than Lily Evans herself.

"Mhmm?" he said opening the other eye and stretching lazily with a might yawn.

"Merlin! We need to do our rounds, it's already nine o'clock." Lily glared at him. "You sleep like a log."

James got up and followed a slightly annoyed Lily out of the common room and into the corridor. He was trying to remember his dream but could only catch a few fringes of it. He knew that he fell off his broom because his stomach still felt like it was going to drop out of his butt, but he couldn't capture any details.

"McGongall scolded me today for not patrolling together so I guess we aren't allowed to split up any longer," Lily said wistfully, looking behind her as if that could make McGongall appear and tell her it was fine to go off on her own.

"I'm not the one who'll be complaining," James pointed out matter-of-fact.

Lily rolled her eyes and grunted.

"That's not lady-like at all now is it?"

"Shut up Potter."

James laughed to himself and stared out the closest window. It was nearly Halloween and his relationship, if you could even call it that, with Lily was slowly but surely changing. James didn't know whether it was her or him. He certainly knew that he had undergone some serious changes during the summer but he couldn't tell if Lily had too. He seemed to think she did because she was slowly warming up to him.

"Halloween is tomorrow isn't it? Or is it Friday?" Lily asked pulling James out of his thoughts.

"Friday, why?"

"Because that's when our Potions essay is due and I haven't completed it yet."

James grinned. "That's shocking; you usually have it done a week in advance."

"Have you done yours yet?"

James didn't fail to hear the accusing tone in her voice. "Nope. Not planning to, actually. I'm going to ask Slughorn if he can give me the weekend to finish it."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "How the hell are you going to pull that off?"

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeves."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Then watch and learn."

Lily grinned in spite of herself. James noticed that. He had been noticing a lot about Lily lately. Ever since the Hogwarts Express ride in the beginning of the year he had really taken time to study Lily. He noticed how she bit her nails when she was daydreaming, how she ran her hands through her hair when she was frustrated, how when she smiled the corner of her mouth would turn up slowly then travel until her teeth were showing. This was only done because of the urging from Remus, Peter, and even Sirius who gave in reluctantly. They had suggested that James stop putting on an act for Lily and told him to be himself.

_Doing that is way harder than it sounds_, James thought at the time.

He was still getting the hang of being himself. He had carried on the act for so long that he didn't know how to act normal around Lily. It was also surprising to find out that when James stopped playing his act, he had genuine feelings for Lily. When he told Sirius about it, Sirius had been unnaturally wise:

"_Don't start act again just because you're afraid. If you get hurt at least it will be for real. Lily deserves to be treated with respect, not you pretending."_

James had blown up at him and said that was the stupidest thing he had ever heard and it all went downhill from there. However, the two were soon talking again much to Remus and Peter's relief.

So far, James was himself twenty-five percent of the time; the other seventy-five percent was all putting on an act.

"Potter, isn't that your girl friend up there?" Lily asked, snapping James _again_ from his train of thought.

"Hey Giselle, what's up?" James called as he and Lily drew closer to where she was standing.

Oh, that was another thing. James decided to try and get a different girl. He knew it wouldn't be hard, ever girl in the school worshipped him and Sirius, and he figured he could use someone else as an experiment so he could improve his efforts with Lily.

"Why are you with her?" Giselle spat pointing a finger at Lily.

"We have to patrol together," Lily said icily. "Trust me; it's not my cup of tea either."

"Well, James if you want to get together after…" Giselle wrapped herself around James but looked square at Lily as if Lily envied her. "You know where to find me."

"Okay, baby." James kissed the top of her head as Lily made a face and started walking away. "See you later."

After all, it was just an act wasn't it?


End file.
